Passing
by HotchocolatesandGingerbread
Summary: Momo had signed on with Endeavors agency when they graduated and hadn't seen Todoroki since. Now, after he's taken over the agency, she comes across him a few times in passing, neither one mentioning the effect the other has on them. With hearts pressed so flat from past anger, they attempt to ignore one another, but they can't ignore eachother forever.


Momo had signed on with Endeavors agency after she graduated, causing a rift between her and her best friend, Todoroki Shouto. The boy had been furious, eyes narrowed and voice harsh, as he yelled at her when he found out. "You're nothing but a traitor, I trusted you." His words were still burned into her soul, a constant jab at her heart.

Endeavor was quite a fan of hers as she rose through the ranks but most importantly he was never the man Todoroki had described. She realized, through her years at his agency, that he'd changed, become a man of honor and encouragement. He cared about her, that much was obvious in the way he favored her, gave her time off she never asked for and the raises and exceptional opportunities he presented her with. And despite all the terrible things Todoroki had told her, she cared about him; Endeavor had become more than an employer, he'd become the person she could rely on most in his son's absence, as he was the closest that she could come to Todoroki Shouto.

She'd missed him for years, until now; for the past few months Shouto wasn't the Todoroki on her mind, his father was. Endeavor had told her a few months ago the most shocking thing she'd ever heard…He was retiring. He'd told her months before he did it as a warning; Endeavor knew he was the reason for their abrupt division. As guilty as he felt for it, there was nothing he could do about it, so he resulted to warning Momo that Todoroki, in only a matter of months, would take over the company.

Now, her access card slid easily through the security check; perhaps it was a sign as it was the last thing that went easily in her life, but then again maybe it wasn't, maybe it was just a coincidence. Those months had passed quickly, only a blur in her life now; she'd forgotten about Todoroki, again, only thinking about Endeavors retirement and not who'd be taking over.

But as she stepped into the large, steel elevator, she was reminded of everything Endeavor had wanted her to forget. Todoroki stood, back to her, talking to an intern at their desk as Momo stared out the opening of the elevator shaken by his reappearance in her life. How could she have forgotten? He was only the most important man in her life for four years, and she'd forgotten that he'd be here, on this day, of this month.

Her stare was interrupted before he turned around however, as the elevator doors closed blocking her view and announcing her accent to a higher floor.

That was the first time she'd seen him since they graduated, and it'd ended with nothing more than a few shocked momemts and an unsettled stare. The second time was also an accident; they'd bumped into each other as she was exiting the conference room, fresh from a meeting on her newly assigned targets. They'd stopped, caught in each other's eyes, equally afraid and distressed at not only their connected gazes but their proximity.

He'd cleared his throat and ushered an apology before brushing past her, seemingly unfazed, and entered the room she'd just come from. He was still stunning, and he'd filled out entirely becoming a full throttle hero whose chill could seep into a villains bones, and a man whose mere presence brought out unease in her. She'd said nothing as he'd passed, no apology, no hello, not even a smile, no matter how hard she treid. He had no idea the affect he had on her.

The third time they'd encountered each other was coincidence, but no accident. She had been making her lunch, unaware of his presence, simply going about her day. But her serene moment as she was placing a couple dollars' worth of food in the staff microwave was interrupted by a deep voice she knew all too well. "It's not working." It was all he said, but she could hear his ragged breaths as he stood behind her close enough for her to feel his steady breath on her neck. The heat and cold of his opposite sides both chilled and warmed her at the same time, making her shiver and sweat with anticipation, but it was for nothing. After a few minutes, the uneasy temperatures disappeared, and the swing of a door replaced the sound of his breathing. The click that sounded the closing of the large glass door was the only confirmation that he was gone as she refused to turn around, afraid to spot those mismatched eyes. Shakily, she took the plate of food out of the, apparently broken, microwave and stood unbalanced, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She had neither spoken nor turned to face him, yet she could barely hold her self up without risking a wobbly step. This was a nightmare.

The fourth time was silent with no physical contact or any kind of proximity whatsoever; it was simply their eyes. She was on her way to the printer to pick up a few documents she'd sent, he was talking to a respect colleague about some documents the they both held in their hands, walking to opposite way on the other side of the office. He was in the north hallway, she in the south, but the vacant space gave them both a perfect view of the other. Immediately their eyes found each other, almost starving for the gaze of the other and time seemed to slow around them as if this was a moment that was meant just her and him. His were cold and bleak, bored by his work, until they rose from his papers, finding her own weary eyes that were deprived of sleep causing a deep feeling to erupt within her whilst his eyes widened slightly and his mouth settled into a thin line, only twitching slightly. Everyone else in the office had been blissfully unaware of their desperate optical entanglement, carrying on with their own work; even Todoroki and Momo acted unaware of the others presence, continuing to walk on down their respected hallways toward their destinations.

The only acknowledgement of the others stare was their connected gazes, each refusing to break their hold. Their heads followed each other, turning to maintain eye contact as they continued to walk. Unexpressed feelings passed between the two, from eye to eye and man to woman, crossing the office space and into the other. Only when they'd passed each other did they break their connection, not out of want, but due to necessity as, to maintain their sensual moment, they'd have to turn around and walk backwards. So, they both turned their faces and focused on where ever they were headed, attempting to act normal when every fiber of their being was left wanting more from the other.

Months passed, and no sign of any other contact or sighting was both appreciated and excrutiating for Momo, who was left reeling in her own thoughts from their previous encounters. Months had passed and nothing, until January; this meeting was purposeful, one they both had known about and prepared for, as much as they could have. He'd called her to his office, rather, Endeavors old office. They were to talk business, where they'd exchange polite mannerisms, discuss whatever he'd needed her for and walk away to carry on their work on different floors.

The soft dinging of the rising floors had only served to unsettle her more as she'd attempted to relax before her meeting with the young hero who'd captured her heart many years ago, only to break it a few years after. When the final click resonated, and the elevator began to shudder open, revealing to her the very man who'd consumed her dreams for the past eight months, she'd stood still waiting for him to speak, waiting for acknowledgement. Todoroki had been seated at his desk shuffling through papers with his head cast downward focused solely on the black ink before him, ignoring her presence entirely.

Slowly, she'd walked forward, stopping before his burgundy desk, hands at her sides still nervously waiting for him to acknowledge her. "I'm closing the agency." No formalities, not even a glance, and his words had only served to bring her pain. She's shaken her head in disbelief, unsure of what to say in the bizarre situation, opening her mouth to speak but closing it almost immediately. Was he serious? All the people in this building, all the employees, everyone that relied on him for employment, and he'd just throw them away just like that. How unreliable, just as he'd been as a child. How calloused.

Finally, she'd found the words she wanted to say, but they'd sat on her tongue like dead coals on a fire; uncertainty and pain rooted deep inside, and all she could do was stare out at him wide-eyed from his previous statement in disapproval. "You called me all the up here just to tell me I'm fired?" Not the words she'd planned, but they'd do.

He'd shuffled his papers, signed a few, and kept his head down remaining silent for a moment. "Pretty much." Gruffly, he replied, and still he'd refused to bring his head up to face her. "You can go." Short and brutal, just like he'd always been.

Momo had been beyond anger, full of rage and a sour heart as she'd watched him dribble his name on a few more of the papers that'd sat him. Shaking, she'd brought her hand up before placing it back to her side, "And what about everyone who works here, what are they supposed to do?" she'd retored, eyes and brows were still drawn downward, narrowed with hatred from his present attitude toward her.

More shuffling and writing, and still not so much as a glance. "Don't know, don't care." Almost; his head had risen slightly, almost looking up before it dipped back down. "You can go." He'd said it twice, he'd wanted her to leave, he didn't want her here, and he didn't care.

A ruffian like fury flowed throughout her body and she'd reacted with it, slamming her palm on his desk over the papers he was currently reading. "You show up out of the blue, bump into me here and there a few times, call me to your office and tell me that I'm fired and not even so much as a _hello?_ " He didn't move, either her outburst had gone unnoticed or he'd been expecting it, but it did the trick. Slowly, he'd laid down his pen, sat back in his chair and rose his head, bringing his startling eyes up to her face.

He'd sighed, letting out a calming breath and cocked his head off to his right side shifting slightly in his chair. "And what about you? You knew where to find me, and you never said anything." He was blaming her? She'd had it.

"So, you don't care, what so ever, about any of the people in this office, who rely on YOU for support. Who look up to YOU?" His mouth had quaked slightly, only for a moment, so quick she'd almost missed it.

Words had seemed to be spinning around in his mind, a flurry of sentences just waiting to be said, but he'd settled for a single, measly word. "No." Cold, harsh, uncaring, unforgiving, and distant, all the things she remembered about him, and worse.

She broke then seeing not red, but blue; an overwhelming sadness and grief had crashed into her at his distain. Nearing tears, but too defiant to allow him the pleasure to know, Momo'd stormed toward the elevator, taking large strides after a brisk swivel on her foot. She'd squished the button, shoving her feelings into the plastic circular object embedded in the wall, wishing she'd never come to this office, his office. As the elevator opened before her, she'd let out one last remark; four words, and his eyes grew wide in shock before narrowing at her; fear, hate, grief, and agony all blending together in the small width of his two divergent eyes. "You're just like him." That was all. That was it. That was the last thing she'd said before going home that frigid January day.

He made the announcement later that week; the agency would be closing in three months, sometime early April. Everyone handled it in their own way, and they'd all refused to approach Momo about it, as, by then, they'd sensed the unusual air around the two decorated heroes.

Three months, and they'd been back to where they were before, acting as if the other hadn't existed for a second, but feeling the pain of their distance at every moment. Closure; it'd escaped her once again.

Before those three months could come to a close, another agency had come to Endeavors old legacy with a plea for help, asking for the companies best to help them not only track down but capture some criminals at hand. Specifically, they'd asked for Todoroki and Momo; unfortunately, they'd unknowlingly asked for the worst combo of heroes for miles.

Why then, why did he accept this mission? Why did he agree to work with her until the agency closed? It didn't matter now, she was here, he was here, and they were forced to be allies. Despite it all, the atmosphere was light as they sat, across from one another at a large oval table. He was at one end, far down the dark wood with her at the other, neither looking nor speaking. They were here, a moment in their lives that they'd have to spend together, a space they'd have to share while they worked and a connection they'd spent months trying to shatter and establish all at once.

However, the case wasn't easy, and they werent making much progress. The other heroes on the case had all gone for the night, disheartened by the case. They'd been left alone with nothing to keep them grounded aside from gravity, which did little to soothe their aching hearts. He sighed clearly distressed, throwing his elbows on the table with his head in his hands and muttered, "None of this makes any sense." He was reviewing the criminals pattern, which was sporadic and showed no signs of having any given thought.

Momo, and in a fleeting moment of kindness offered her help, only to have him laugh at her. Once again, she was reminded of the reason she'd been avoiding him. As she placed her assinged papers down and brought her eyes to rest squarly on his halved head, she couldn't it any more. "What's your problem, with me?" Her voice shook with her emotions; every time he looked at her, every time he spoke to her, came near her, or was even mentioned here her, she felt herself break a little more, drowned in both new and past emotions.

He looked up, despair ever present in his gaze, eyes twinkling with a darkness, an anger, with her as the root cause. "What's my problem? You mean besides my best friend, oh I'm sorry..." he chuckeled a little to himself, bringing his hands in front of him in an apologetic gesture, "past best friend, turning their back on me and signing on with _my father_ of all people? I don't have a problem." Ice sat in his words; he didn't need his quirk to be cold. He stared at her, stone eyes and firm frown, with balled fists on the table and leaning up slightly against it.

The ice in his words did little to surprise her though, she'd gotten used to it by now. "You're still on that? He was the best hero around and he offered me a remarkable opportunity; I thought you'd be _happy_ for me, that _your father_ thought I had talent." Maybe she wasn't ready for this conversation, feeling herself flee back into her quiet composure wanting to escape, but she stood, pushing her chair back not ready to accept the reality of what thier relationship had become.

He mirrored her action, staring her down with the eyes of a hungry predator, happy to send back a snide remark. "You left. Me. For him." but it wasn't snide at all, no, it was honest. Hatred was the only applicable word to describe how he said the word 'him' as he referred to his father, and disgust ozzed out of voice as he said 'you'.

Momo let out a mocking laugh, seeing her memories play out before her. She remembered how she tried so hard to see him after he shut her out. She'd even gone to his mother, who told he to stay away from Todoroki and that she could only have one of them. "I left you? I called. So many-"

"You went to _him,_ Momo. And you didn't look back." They were both angry, circling the table in a deadly tango. The room was suffocating from the emotions they were both pouring out into the open air and they both struggled against the friction of the others words and eyes.

Taking another step to round the end of the table he'd sat at, she kept her stare forcused on him as he did the same, his larger body taking a larger step. "I went to your house, I called your phone, I waited for you. I tried, and you pushed me out, because of a job I took." He voice slowed but grew with confidence; she had no remourse for her past actions, only regret that things had gotten this sour between them. But everything she'd done, she'd done for him, because she loved him. She never meant to hurt him, never meant for him to leave her.

Another mimicked step around the table, and two huffs of dissatisfaction followed; he was nearing her as he kept to his own stride, yet they were still many feet apart. Their deadly dance was nearing its close as she turned to walk backwards around the table, keeping his front in her view, watching as he gripped the chair he was passing intensly from his quiet rage. Ice formed and traveled down the back of the chair, ready to freeze her if she got to close; the sound from the forming crystals threatened to break the room, as it was louder than either of them had been as they'd thrown their heartfelt, but fierce, replies back at eachother while the circled. "You, of all people, knew how much I hated him. You knew the hell he put me through." He brought an accusatory finger up pointing out to her. "You did it on purpose." He can't be serious. He can't honestly believe that. He had more faith in her than that, he had to.

Minutes passed between each time they spoke as she left her emotional trail behind her, Todoroki following hotly pressed with determination. But this time, this time he spoke his words had opened a hole in her she couldn't contain. "WHAT?" her screech took her off guard, but she froze, unable to continue their vexing dance. She was near yelling now, bringing the volume of the room above the freezing of his ice. "I did what? DO you really believe that? That I'd strive to hurt you?" Fire and ice erupted deep within him, folding its flames and creating a white mist to surround the beast he flet in his heart. His movements startled her when he launched himself the remainder of the distance between them to stand tall in front of her, wanting to combine all of his emotions with her and end the pain he felt whenever he heard her name.

He said nothing, chest heaving, and eyes shallowed by a multitude of emotions. "I thought I could help you Todoroki, I wanted to help you. You said things were getting better, you said you wanted a parent. You wanted a father." Her shell was hard but brittle, and his heat, his cold, it's shattered her shell as it had been waiting for him to do. Tears, hot and full, beaded across her cheeks as she jabbed him in the chest with her own accusatory finger. watching carefully as each drop of salty liquid fell across her face, following them with his eyes, his rage calmed a little, the flames and ice retreating back into his body slightly, so that only his hair was left affected. "You left me, you cut me out." She choked the words out, pushing them through her emotions with enormous difficulty and shaking her head. She had to take a quick glance downward and shaky breath before looking up to stare at his chest unable to hold his eyes anylonger. "You, you hurt me like no one has ever hurt me before, and you didn't even say goodbye when you left. You didn't say sorry, didn't say hello, didn't even c _are_ that I was in pain." Daringly, her eyes darted up to his for a brief second, taking in everything as his shoulders fell, and his eyes softened; the look in his eyes, it was almost like regret. "You only cared that I got my paycheck from your father."

He shook his head violently with a bitter laugh, an abrupt, jarring demonstration which cut her off. "I cared, I cared so much. It hurt, knowing that you picked him over me-"

"That wasn't it and you-" She tried to speak, but he grabbed her arms in a rough show with a gentle touch, pushing her back flush against a wall trapping her between him and cold surface as it shilled from his presence, sending a new wave of shivers through her skin.

For the first time, she felt a small kindle of fear for the man towering before her. She'd hated him, or tried to, loved him, and still did, but never feared him, until now. His own shell had broken, she could see its fragments in his eyes, on his skin and from the movements of his gritted teeth and twitching lips. "I LOVED YOU!" a fiercesome bellow burst from his chest, the darkness in his voice and a deep tone. He shook her, shaking himself. "I loved you, and you went to _him."_ Whispering in a darkened manner, he gripped her harder. If he was aware, then he knew he was causing her arms to bruise, but she suspected he wasn't, that he had no idea of the pain he was causing her, or the pain he had caused her years ago.

She couldn't wrap her mind around it, the words he'd said. He loved her. And he thought she'd chosen his father over him. He was a mess, cracking inside from laying his heart out, tears of his own threatening to fall, but his pride held them back while his eyes, darting between hers, took pleading glances into each of her onxy orbs. Disbelief settled in; "you loved me?" her voice betrayed her. She hadn't meant to sound so skeptical.

He gave her crooked, sad smile and chuckle before his eyes softened completely, losing all anger only to be replaced with a void sadness. Fire and ice, it disappeared all at once as his focus settled. "I love you. And you hate me, because I was too blind and jealous, and-" his voice cracked and he back away, swiping at his face with the back of his hand. They both just stood there, with the foot of space he'd given between them. "I…one moment, I had you, this close to me, you were everything." He held her again, stepping forward and closing the gap between them, shaking her vigorously causing pain to shoot through her bruised arms. "And then I didn't. Then you were…" anger was back in his eyes and voice as he looked down and spat out the next few words. "Then you were his."

This was about possession, his possession of her, and he felt threatened. For years, he'd felt threatened. "You…are an idiot." He was utterly confused; he'd poured his heart out to her and that was her response? His anger dissappaited leaving bewilderment as his head notched back slightly

Confusion was the only thing on his mind. "What?" His deep husky tone perplexed as he gripped her.

Licking her lips, she shook off his hands, focusing downward. He was insane; did he really feel this way? He was such a fool. Momo stood as tall as she could with as much confidence as she could muster, taking in the distressed look in his eyes as she held his stare. "I cared about you, too. And you left me; I never went to Endeavor because I didn't want you. I went to him to try to help you rekindle your relationship with your father…and because he was the number one hero in the world." She added the last part quickly and under her breath, a brief light remark to lighten the mood. A small smirk graced his lips for less than a second before Momo took his hands in her own. "I went to Endeavor because I loved you, and whether you want to accept it or not, he is a part of you."

He drew back slightly, gulping in distain for the revelation of the fact. Then, slowly, he reversed her hold on his hands, enveloping her fingers in his own palms. He brought her hands to his lips, kissing them like she was royalty, holding them to him for what felt like a decade. And she understood everything he'd been trying to say with the action, _'I'm sorry.'_ His was an unusual apology, but then again they were in an unusual situation.

Once he released her hands, he gave her a relinguishing look, one that shown how heavy the weight of his emotions had been. She felt the same, as she looked at him in the same freedom and not yet ready to take her hands back from him. But he let go, all too soon, and took another step back and for a moment Momo thought he was going to leave. She thought he was going to disappear back into the vastness of the city, away from her, away from his heart, and turn cold once again. But he didn't; he stood tall and proud, holding his hand out to her, smiling beautifully amidst the fog the air had become. "Todoroki Shouto." All he said was his name, but it meant so much more.

It meant he was sorry, it meant he loved her, it meant that everything would be fine. He wanted to start over, wanted to love her and show her the man his is rather than the man he was, and she was fine with that. She was happy with it, estatic even, because it meant they would love eachother.

Brazenly, she took his hand in her own, their grips firm and unrelenting, demonstrating their new strength, a strength they had in eachother. "Momo Yaoyorozu."

Okay you guys, that's all! I hope you enjoyed it; feel free to review! And if you have spare time, read my other story about the daughter of a villain who goes to UA! The first few chapters are going to be kinda different and description heavy, but I think it's going to be a good story overall! See you next time!


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